The Ontario Society of Artists (OSA) was founded in 1872. It is

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

's oldest continuously operating professional art society. When it was founded at the home of

John Arthur Fraser John Arthur Fraser (also known as John A. Fraser and J. A. Fraser) (9 January 1838 – 1 January 1898) was an English artist, photography entrepreneur and teacher. He undertook various paintings for the Canadian Pacific Railway. He is known for h ...

, seven artists were present. Besides Fraser himself,

Marmaduke Matthews Marmaduke Matthews (29 August 1837 – 24 September 1913) was an English-Canadian painter, born in Barcheston, Warwickshire, England. Career Matthews studied watercolour painting at Oxford, England before moving to Toronto, Canada in 1860 to ...

, and

Thomas Mower Martin Thomas Mower Martin (1838–1934) was an English-born Canadian landscape painter dubbed "the father of Canadian art" Life and work MartinCharlotte Schreiber was the first woman member in 1876 and showed work in the Society's Annual show of that year. The list of objectives drawn up by the founding executive included the "fostering of Original Art in the province, the holding of Annual Exhibitions, the formation of an Art Library and Museum and School of Art". Prominent businessman William Holmes Howland was invited to be President of the Society.

Fostering art

The OSA, in its early years, had a major effect on the development of art in Ontario, if not in Canada. Its annual shows were reviewed regularly by major Toronto newspapers and the development of its artists and their work was followed in detail. For instance, the ''Evening Telegram'' in Toronto, in May 1880, reported with pride that the oils in the annual show displayed a "most marked and gratifying progress". However, with the appearance of other organizations, such as the Canadian Art Club in 1907, and particularly the

Group of Seven The Group of Seven (G7) is an intergovernmental political forum consisting of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States; additionally, the European Union (EU) is a "non-enumerated member". It is officiall ...

in 1920, as well as the development of public and private galleries, its annual shows began to receive less attention. Still, the OSA's annual shows, from first to last, provided a place where artists could sell their work and socialize. It organized the Toronto Guild of Civic Art, which implied mural painting, and led in turn to the Society of Mural Decorators. It organized free lectures on subjects, and later, organized public events to showcase Ontario artists and provide a forum for emerging artists. Members of the Society have had mentorship programs for artists at various times. The OSA today has biennial Emerging Artist Exhibitions and annual Open Juried Exhibitions, both of which are designed to support and inspire art and artists across Ontario.

Art exhibitions

The first exhibition was held at Notman & Fraser's Art Galleries, Toronto, in April 1873. The Society continues to hold annual and special events. The OSA has an annual Members' Exhibition of Selected Works which showcases art from members who choose to participate. The list of galleries used extensively by the OSA includes The John B. Aird Gallery, The Papermill Gallery at Todmorden Mills and the Neilson Park Creative Centre Gallery. As of 2019, the OSA is also showing their exhibitions online in galleries on their website.

Art gallery

It was not until 1900 that the Society was in a position to form an art museum and upon the death of Mrs. Goldwin Smith of The Grange in 1909, it was found that she had willed her property to the Art Museum. It began under the name of the Art Museum of Toronto and is now the

Art Gallery of Ontario The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; french: Musée des beaux-arts de l'Ontario) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street West between McCaul and Bev ...

. The Museum began using the

Toronto Public Library Toronto Public Library (TPL) (french: Bibliothèque publique de Toronto) is a public library system in Toronto, Ontario. It is the largest public library system in Canada, and in 2008 had averaged a higher circulation per capita than any other pub ...

on College Street to exhibit its collection. It did so from 1910 until 1919. The Society's annual exhibitions held during this period were also held at the library. When the new galleries in the Art Museum of Toronto were opened in 1920, the Society began holding its annual show in the new

Art Gallery of Toronto The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO; french: Musée des beaux-arts de l'Ontario) is an art museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The museum is located in the Grange Park neighbourhood of downtown Toronto, on Dundas Street West between McCaul and Bev ...

. This venue for the annual show lasted until 1967.

Art school

The Society was concerned about the lack of art education in

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

. The Mechanics Institute provided basic classes in technical subjects but art instruction was limited to private lessons in the homes or studios of established artists. The Society obtained a grant of $1,000.00 in 1876. The grant allowed renovation of leased premises at 14 King Street West to create art school classrooms with the balance used as gallery space. The modest classrooms opened the

Ontario School of Art Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within do ...

on October 30, 1876. The enrollment was 25 students. Although the school continued to flourish, its financial situation was uncertain because the Society could not secure long-term funding from the government. In 1883, a new arrangement between the Society and the government resulted in the school moving to the

Toronto Normal School The Toronto Normal School was a teachers college in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1847, the Normal School was located at Church and Gould streets in central Toronto (after 1852), and was a predecessor to the current Ontario Institute for ...

building in St. James Square, now the location of

Toronto Metropolitan University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, although it also operates facilities elsewhere in Toro ...

. By 1884, relations between the Society and the government collapsed. The Society's vice president and Royal Canadian Academy president, Lucius Richard O'Brien, resigned. His exasperation appears in his letter of resignation: The Society ceased involvement with the school until 1890. The efforts of the Society ultimately succeeded with the development of what is now

OCAD University Ontario College of Art & Design University, commonly known as OCAD University or OCAD, is a public art university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is spread throughout several buildings and facilities within d ...

Members

Original membership included persons from a variety of visual art professions. Many of Ontario's foremost artists have belonged to the OSA. Early member records and artifacts of the Society are held by the Province of Ontario Archives. The Society's current membership exceeds 200 artists. Members of the OSA included: *

Tom Thomson Thomas John Thomson (August 5, 1877July 8, 1917) was a Canadian artist active in the early 20th century. During his short career, he produced roughly 400 oil sketches on small wood panels and approximately 50 larger works on canvas. His ...

(1877-1917) * Kenneth Forbes (1892-1980) *

Hamilton MacCarthy Hamilton Thomas Carlton Plantagenet MacCarthy (28 July 1846 – 24 October 1939) was one of the earliest masters of monumental bronze sculpture in Canada. He is known for his historical sculptures, in particular his Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mon ...

(1846-1939) * Betty Mochizuki (born 1929) * Byron Edmund Walker (1848-1924) * J.E.H. MacDonald (1873-1932) * Homer Watson (1855-1936) * Arthur Lismer (1885-1969) * A.Y. Jackson (1882-1974) * A. J. Casson (1898-1992) * Franklin Arbuckle (1909-2001) * E.B. Cox (1914-2003) * Dora de Pedery-Hunt (1913-2008) *

Doris McCarthy Doris McCarthy, LL. D. (July 7, 1910 – November 25, 2010) was a Canadian artist known for her abstracted landscapes. Life and career Born in Calgary, Alberta, McCarthy attended the Ontario College of Art from 1926 to 1930, where she was award ...

(1910-2010)

Honours

As the result of a successful anti-logging campaign led by A.Y. Jackson, a lake in what is now

Killarney Provincial Park Killarney Provincial Park is a provincial park in central Ontario, Canada. The park contains just one campground at the George Lake entrance as it is primarily a wilderness park. There are few facilities to allow visitors a chance to experience ...

was named O.S.A. Lake in 1933 (it had formerly been called Trout Lake) after the Ontario Society of Artists. O.S.A. Lake can be found at .

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

Ontario Society of Artists - Official Website
*
The Ontario Society of Artists and the Government of Ontario Art Collection
', online exhibit on Archives of Ontario website
Ontario Society of Artists fonds
Archives of Ontario {{Authority control Arts organizations based in Canada Organizations based in Ontario Art societies